Sound-controlled means for producing light variations



J an. 16, 1923. 1,442,426. L: DE FOREST. souun CONTROLLED MEANS FOR PRODUCING LIGHT VARIATIONS. FILED IAN-19,192]- INVENTOR J I BY ATTORNEYS. W QK$ AW Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

UNITED STATES LEE DE FOREST, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SOUND-CONTROLLED MEANS FOR PRODUCING LIGHT VARIATIONS.

Application filed January 19, 1921. Serial No. 438,340.

To all whom it may concern- Be it known that 1, LEE DE Fonnsr, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Sound-Controlled Means for Producing Light Variations, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for varying a light by and in accordance with sound waves.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which is simple and eificient for the purpose set forth.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the light variation produced by and in accordance with sound is greatly magnified.

Further objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination, location, and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth as shown by the accompanying drawing, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing Fig. 1 is a view in elevation, largely dia grammatic, and partially in section, showing a system embodying my invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views showing slightly modified constructions.

The same part is designated by the same reference numeral wherever the same occurs throughout the several views.

In my co-pending application, Serial No. 391,705, filed June 25, 1920, I have shown and described what I have called a talking flame, that is, a flame of light which is fluctuated by and in accordance with sound waves, and have shown one application thereof wherein the sound fluctuated light is utilized for photographically recording the same for the purpose of thus photographically obtaining sound records. My present invention is directed to improved means for varying the light source by and in accordance with sound waves. To illustrate my present invention I have shown the same comprising a container 1 for storing the gas utilized for producing the flame, and any suitable actinic gas may be employed. The gas is fed through a line 2, controlled by a valve 3, to nozzle 4. A mouth-piece or sound receptacle 5 communicates through a suitable tube 6, which is preferably flexible a portion of its length, and which encompasses the nozzle or burner tip 4, and is in turn provided with a cap 7 which surrounds the nozzle or burner tip 4 and is provided with a small opening 8 at the apex thereof. The cap 7 is adjustable by any suitable means over the end of the speaking tube 6 so as to draw the perforation 8 thereof closer to or move the same further away from the nozzle tip 4, and the gas passing through the nozzle 4 and the perforation 8 in the cap 7 is ignited to form the flame 9 as shown. It will be apparent therefore that the sound waves directed into the mouth piece 5 and into the speaking tube 6 and converging within the conical cap 7 impinge directly upon the base of the flame 9 imparting thereto the sound vibrations and producing corresponding, but greatly exaggerated fluctuations in the flame, which fluctuations can be utilized in any suitable manner, for example, as set forth in my co-pending application above identified, for varying the photographic reproduction obtained by the exposure thereof on a moving light sensitized film or plate. If desired, and as shown, the conical cap 7 may have secured thereto a support 10 carrying at its end a chimney 11 of glass, or other suitable material, directly over the top of the flame, which chimney tends to steady the flame.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 I employ a fine needle flame 4 as in Fig. 1, but employ in connection therewith for obtaining through sound waves the fluctuations or variation thereof a type of manometric capsule, which consists of a casing 12, containing a diaphragm 13 therein. The mouthpiece 5 in this instance communicates with one side of the diaphragm 13, and the easing 12 on the other side of the diaphragm 13 is drawn to a small pin point aperture 14 on the other side of the diaphragm which is positioned adjacent the base of the flame 9, so that air jets or puffs are forced through the aperture 14 in accordance with the vibrations of the diaphragm 13, which vibrations are caused by sound waves impinging on the mouth-piece side thereof, so that corresponding fluctuations in the flame suitable to be photographed are thereby obtained.

In Fig. 3 I show a still further arrangement for accomplishing the purposes of my invention, wherein I provide an auxiliary tank 15, feeding through pipe line 16, controlled by regulator valve 17 and through a short rubber connection 18 between the end of the pipe 16 to a hollow needle 20, mounted to be swung by sound waves acting 011 the diaphragm 7, supplied thereto through the speaking tube 6 and mouth-piece 5, in the usual well known manner, the diaphragm T and the needle 20 being ofa construct-ion similar to the usual well known arrangement of needle and diaphrain employed in the phonograph art. The end of the needle 20 is located a short distance, for example, one-half an inch or one inch from the flame 9, so that the swinging action of the fine air jet obtained through the hollow needle 20 on the flame 4 is greatly multiplied. The compressed air from the tank 15 which is led to the hollow needle 20 at the base thereof through the hose connection 18 is under constant pressure, and the sound waves merely cause a change of direction of the air jet from the hollow needle 20, which, as shown, is located in the axis of rotation of the needle diaphragm.

An arrangement like that of Fig. 3 can be made a loud speaker of great power by rapidly succeeding) explosions due to the mixture and combination of the two gas jets, said explosions in rate of succession and degree of violence and in amplitude of sound waves resulting therefrom being quantitatively determined by the deflection of one gas jet relatively to the other, which in turn is governed by sound waves impinging upon diaphragm 7, for example, the jet or flame 9 may be obtained from hydrogen, and the jet obtained from the needle 20 may be of oxygen, or vice versa, then the jet 9 will burn in the air at all times a steady small flame, but when the jet from the needle 20 of oxygen is made to imp nge more or less upon the base of the hydrogen flame 9 very much more intense ignition results, the intensity of which will follow very closely the movements of the jet resulting from the needle 20 into the jet 9. Instead of hydrogen, acetylene gas, or any suitable gas, may be employed, and other gases of oxygen or air can be substituted. When thus used as a loud spealier the gas jets are preferably located at the apex of a magnifying horn or at the focus of a parabolic sound reflector,

or the like.

The foregoing description with relation to Fig. 3 atfords another application of the invention here involved, but I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited or restricted to any particular application to which the invention may be used, nor to the specific structure employed, as many modifications and changes in details will readily occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the claims.

Having now set forth the objects and nature of my invention, and having shown and described structures embodying the principles thereof, what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. In av sound controlled flame device, the combination with a ga nozzle, of a speaking tube encompassing the same, and provided with an orifice therein adjacent said nozzle substantially as shown and described.

2. In a sound controlled flame device, the combination with a gas nozzle, of a speaking tube encompassing the same, and provided with an orifice therein adjacent said nozzle and through which the flame extends.

3. The combination with a flame, of means for altering said flame at the axial base thereof, by and in accordance with sound waves.

4.. The combination with a flame, of means for directing sound waves at said flame to fluctuate the same.

5. The combination with a flame and a source of air, of means for directing said air at said flame, and means for controlling the air by and in accordance with sound waves.

6. The combination with a flame and a source of air, of means for directing said air at the base of said flame, and means for controlling the air by and in accordance with sound waves.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand o this 29th day of December A.

LEE! DE FOREST. 

